garden orach

Garden orach (A. hortensis) was at one time used as a cure for gout. Another interesting ornamental genus is Bassia, which includes summer cypress (B. scoparia) and burning bush (B. scoparia trichophylla); the leaves of the latter turn a beautiful red in autumn.

…of several species, including the garden orach (A. hortensis), are eaten fresh or cooked like spinach. Several species are common salt-tolerant shrubs of western North America, especially four-wing saltbush, or chamiso (A. canescens), and spiny saltbush (A. confertifolia).